Mechanism for simultaneous transverse adjustment of bottom back roll bearings in a textile drafting machine



Dec. 27, 1955 w. w. WERTH ET AL 2,728,111

MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUS TRANSVERSE ADJUSTMENT OF BOTTOM BACK ROLL BEARINGS IN A TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

WILLIAM W. WERTH. BY WILLIAM E. MCFARLAND.

Dec. 27, 1955 w, w, w ETAL 2,728,11 l

MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUS TRANSVERSE ADJUSTMENT OF BOTTOM BACK ROLL BEARINGS IN A TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1954 IN V EN T 0R.

ERTH

W FARLAND.

w. By WILLIAM E. MC

ATTY.

MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUS .TRAN svERsE ADJUSTMENT F BOTTOMBACK .ROLL BEAR-v i INGS IN A TEXTILEQDRAFTING Application March 19, 1954, Serial No. 41 7,268 3 Claims. c1. 19-139 "This invention relates to textile drafting machines such as spinning or roving frames. In such machines, textile slivers or rovings are drafted between pairs of back and front rolls, and said pairs of rolls require variable transverse spacing to meet different operating conditions and particularly for difierences in the length and kind of fiber. The front and back bottom drafting rolls are both of very substantial length, and in common practice, the front bottom roll is continuously rotated in a plurality of fixed and axially spaced bearings.

The back bottom roll is also continuously rotated in a plurality of axially spaced bearing blocks but these blocks are so constructed that the transverse spacing between the back and front rolls may be increased or decreased as found desirable or necessary.

This commonly necessitates separate transverse adjustment of each bearing block, which involves a substantial expenditure of time and labor and which also involves the probability of dis-aligned bearings, unless the change in spacing is expertly accomplished.

It is the general object of our invention to provide improved means for simultaneously adjusting all of the back bottom roll bearing blocks forward or rearward, and for elfectively maintaining the alignment thereof.

To the accomplishment of this general object, we provide each back bearing block with a relatively short rack bar extending transversely of the back roll, and we provide a single longitudinally-movable operating rack bar coacting with all of these short transverse rack bars to move all of the back bearing blocks simultaneously in a selected direction and in equal amounts. Both sets of rack teeth are inclined to their paths of movement, and the angles are selected to give mechanical advantage to the single operating rack bar.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing our invention as applied to a single back bearing block;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial top view of the operating rack bar;

Fig. 5 is a partial bottom view of one of the short transverse rack bars, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of mechanism for moving the operating rack bar longitudinally;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing mechanism for simultaneously adjusting a plurality of bearing blocks.

Referring to the drawings, we have shown our invention embodied in a drafting frame having a plurality of transverse movements of the short rack bars 2,728,111 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 fixed spaced brackets 10 (Fig. 8). A front bottom roll 12 is shown in Fig. 2, and the roll 12 is rotatably mounted in a plurality of fixed front bearing blocks 14. The bottom back roll 20 is similarlymounte'd in a plurality of back bearing'blocks 21, each of which is slidably mountedon one of. the fixed brackets 10.

The top member 22 of the slotted as shownf at 23 in Fig. 3, and the side walls of the slot 23 are recessed at24 to slidably support a short. transverse rack .bar 25. Each rack bar 25 is clamped to its associated bearing block 21 by clamping bolts 27 which extend through spacing washers 28 andare received in slotted flanges 29 in the bearing blocks 21. Convenient longitudinal adjustment of each rack bar25 relativet'o its bearing block 21 is thus provided.

Each"brack et '10 is provided with a transverse slot or guideway 30 (Fig. 2) for an operating rack bar 31 (Fig. 8) which extends the length of the drawing frame and which coacts with all of the short transverse rack bars 25 in the brackets 10.

Rack teeth 32 (Fig. 4) on the upper edge of the operating bar 31 coact with rack teeth 33 (Fig. 5) on the lower surface of each short transverse rack bar 25. These rack teeth are relatively inclined, with the teeth 32 preferably at an angle of 60 to the path of movement of the rack bar 31, and with the teeth 33 at an angle of 30 to the path of movement of each rack bar 25. These angles give the operating bar 31 a mechanical advantage of 2 to 1 over the short rack bars 25. Other suitable angles may be substituted, providing the sum of the angles equals Considering the mechanism thus far described, it will be seen that longitudinal movement of the operating bar 31 (Fig. 8) will effect corresponding and simultaneous 25, which movements, however, will be only one-half the length of the associated movements of the operating rack bar 31. Consequently, all of the back bearing blocks 21 will be moved simultaneously forward or rearward and in equal amounts, and the alignment of the bearings will be accurately maintained.

In Figs. 6 and 7, we have shown mechanism for moving the operating rack bar 31 longitudinally. For this purpose, we provide a fixed bracket 40 supporting spaced bearings 41 and 42 for a threaded shaft 43, which shaft also extends through a correspondingly threaded nut 44. The bearing 42 may be an anti-friction thrust bearing.

The nut 44 has an offset arm 45 slotted at 46 to receive the operating rack bar 31, which extends therethrough. A cross-pin 47 holds these parts in assembled relation. The cross-pin 47 may be fixed in the bar 31, and the ends of the cross-pin may be received in open slots 48 in the offset portion 45.

For turning the shaft 43, we provide a hollow cylindrical casing member 50 (Fig. 6) having an inner hub 51 which is pinned at 52 to the shaft 43. A handle 54 is provided on the casing 50 and may be utilized to turn the shaft 43, which shaft is held from axial movement by a collar 55 and by the thrust bearing 42 which is held on the shaft 43 by a clamping nut 56.

The casing 50 may have a peripheral flange 57 with a circular series of holes 58 to receive a locating pin 60, adapted to be inserted in a slot 61 in a fixed bracket 62.

After the screw 43 has been rotated to move the operating rack bar 31 to such a position as will provide the desired spacing between the front and back drafting rolls, the pin 60 may then be inserted in the nearest hole 58 to maintain the adjustment.

Convenient means is thus provided by which all of the back bearing blocks 21 may be simultaneously and equally moved, either forward or rearward, to provide the bracket 10 is longitudinally MHWN desired spacing between the drafting rolls. The correct longitudinal alignment of the bearing blocks will also be automatically maintained.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as 'set' forth in the claims, but what We claim is: H Y

l. In a textile'draftinginachine having a drawing" roll, incombination, a plurality of roll'bearing hlocks's'pac'ed axially of said roll, a fixed support for each bearing block, a relatively short rack bar secured to each bearin block and slidably supported inthe respective'support, a single relatively long rack bar 'operativ'ely engaged with all of said relatively short rack bars and being slidably supported in said supports at right angles to said r'el'ativ'ely short rack bars, a nut on the o erating rack liar, a bracket, a screw rotatably supported in said bracket in parallel relation to said relatively long rack bar and extending through said nut for moving said relatively long rack bar longitudinally upon rotation of the screw, and

means for rotating said screw.

2. The combination in a textile drafting machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said screw rotating means comprises a cylindrical casing secured to said screw, a peripheral flange on said casing, and a handle supported by the flange. v

3. The structureaccording to "claim 2, wherein said flange 'ispprovi'ded with a'circul' T series of holes,-a fixed brackt'adiant said flange, and a locking pin supported by said bracket and 'insertable into selective ones of said holes for the purpose set forth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,661 Carroll Apr. 16, 1872 847,858 Ware Mar. 19, 1907 2,597;278 Arundale et. a1. May 20, 1952 

